Controlling 15 meters of RGB LED strips from a windows app

Using Arduino LEDs and Multiplexing
1

Hi

First of all I must state that I am totally new to Arduino. However I have very good experience with C#, C++ and some other programming languages.
If this is not the right place for my topic I apologise and would appreciate any help to where is the best place to post it or move it to.

Now to the main subject, I am designing a solution where I can control around 10-15 meters of multicolour LED Strips in room via a PC/Windows or WEB application.
The application should give the RGB value All the strips and they will light with the same colour. so the whole 10-15 meters will light with the same colour all the time.

Can you please advice me to the best way to do so using any controller in your mind, I prefer if the controller has an API for .Net apps but I am open to any other suggestions.
Do you think that I can control the 10-15 meters LED strips with only one controller or I might need more than one?
Is there specific LED strips that must be used or any type will work fine for the purpose?

Thanks a lot for any help you would provide.
George

2

What do you mean by controller? There are lots of usage of that word.

Is there specific LED strips that must be used or any type will work fine for the purpose?

It depends on your usage. If you only ever want to have all the LEDs going at the same colour then you will be able to use the cheaper 12V LED strips. These have three inputs that are connected to ground to get each colour on.
You then feed those with PWM signals from the Arduino through a FET each.
This is a popular tutorial:-

3

Thanks for your reply.
When I say controller I mean which Arduino product shall I use to control such number/length of LED strips.
Because some people told me before that some controllers can only control a specific number of LEDs.
That's why I asked about this as I will be controlling about 600 to 900 LEDs all together to have the same colour from the same controller.

4

Uno can do that. You will need a hefty power supply, likely connected in several places to avoid dimming from voltage droop along the strip. Full white can draw 60mA/RGB LED, so 600 LEDs = 36 amp, and 900 = 54 amp. /3 for each color, and you need a N-channel MOSFET with pretty low Rds and decent power handling for each color.

5

Because some people told me before that some controllers can only control a specific number of LEDs.

That is only when you want to control each LED with its own colour. You need a different sort of LED strip for that as well.

6

Thanks CrossRoads for your reply.
Grumpy_Mike thanks again, I just wanted to be sure that it is not a problem when controlling every single LED is not needed.

So far I have brought a 15 meters LED strip (combination of 3x 5 meters).
With a power supply that is lighting all of them.
I am using a Controller made by a company called "Fibaro" to change the colours at the moment and it is working fine. but this controller is only for testing purposes as I need another controller that I can program via a .Net app.

So now what controller you think I shall use that could the replace the current one? and it should be able to be programmed in a windows/web app and .NET

7

So now what controller you think I shall use that could the replace the current one? and it should be able to be programmed in a windows/web app and .NET

The one I liked to in reply #1

8

Ok thanks. One final question and please forgive me bothering you all again.

Do you think that it is possible to do it in the way proposed in this link for a 15 meters RGB LEDs.

link here

Thanks a lot for your help.
I am totally novice in all of this and need to do it in the easiest way as asked by my boss and I have no electrical background at all.

9

That is essentially the same thing only pre built.
You need to do the maths to see if it will work with your LEDs. You need to know how many LEDs per meter, then allow 60mA per LED and then divide that current by three to make sure you do not exceed 12A.

10

So the idea is okay but it is all then depending on managing the power supply to make it work for the 15 meters.
The good thing about it though is not needing a breaboard or MOSFET to connect the Arduino with the LED strips.

Thanks.